"But the cherry blossoms will have all withered by then..."
The two girls looked at each other.
Words failed them.
Wan was a good-natured, hardworking person, so she couldn’t really compare herself to Jiangg Yao. Compared to things like travel, work was the center of her life.
She might browse those stories online about people quitting their jobs to travel and "live in the moment," but she could never take them seriously.
With the economy being so bad, losing a job and a stable income would make even paying rent a problem. What was she supposed to do, end up homeless on the streets?
No matter how much Wan wanted to go with Jiangg Yao and fulfill a dream of her own, right now, all she could do was remain silent. She rested her chin on her hand and shifted her gaze to the gently swaying curtains.
"Don’t worry, we can figure something out..."
Jiangg Yao sighed and lay back down on the bed.
...
In an office at Bauhinia Mansion, Chen Yuan and Jiangg Ning had just finished a meeting. It was already quitting time, and employees were gradually taking the elevators downstairs to leave.
Jiangg Ning had just finished organizing her notes from the meeting and now had to arrange Chen Yuan’s schedule. She deftly handled her laptop, her fingers creating a rhythmic TAP-TAP-TAP on the keyboard. A moment later, she picked up a pen to jot down his itinerary in a small notebook.
In a space filled only with the sounds of work, she didn’t even have a moment to brush back the strands of hair falling near her temples. Chen Yuan, meanwhile, didn’t have a chance to admire her beautiful side profile; he was writing his speech for taking over as the general director of the northern region. Thankfully, Jiangg Ning had already sorted out the intricate hierarchy of the region for him. Otherwise, he had no idea how much effort this speech would have taken.
Making Jiangg Ning his secretary was undoubtedly the best decision Chen Yuan had ever made. Over the past month, he had been grateful for it more than once.
As a top student who had graduated from Yale University, Jiangg Ning’s ability to learn and work was exceptionally strong. In just over a month, she had won over most of her colleagues with her rapidly developed professionalism, and she kept Chen Yuan’s work and schedule organized with impeccable order.
Because Chen Yuan was promoted, her job had to be adjusted accordingly. So, before Chen Yuan could even say anything, she had already researched the various systems of the Jiang Corporation’s regional divisions, gotten a lot of inside information from Ji Hai, and placed a report on Chen Yuan’s desk.
In the office, both were working diligently. There were no arguments, no bickering. The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable.
It was nearly seven o’clock.
Chen Yuan stretched and got up from his chair.
"I’ll stop here for now. It’s about time we left."
"Mmm, it’s seven. Minister Mo just messaged me. She said she might be a little late, so we should head over first."
"Alright, let’s pack up. Do you need a jacket? It’s probably getting a little chilly outside."
Chen Yuan took a jacket hanging by the door, looked at Jiangg Ning, and offered it to her.
"I don’t need one."
She closed her laptop, not even bothering to reach for it, and walked straight past Chen Yuan out the door.
They had communicated quite a bit recently, but it was all about work. Ningning was diligent and responsible in her role as a secretary, but outside of that role, she refused to say a single extra word to Chen Yuan.
’She must still be angry.’
Chen Yuan wasn’t too heartbroken by this. He shrugged and followed her.
Truth be told, you didn’t need to be a genius to figure out why Jiangg Ning was angry. Chen Yuan had tricked her into signing a one-year contract, perfectly exploiting her personality. That calculation was what infuriated Jiangg Ning the most.
If he hadn’t done that, Ningning wouldn’t be giving him such a cold shoulder every day.
Of course, the two weren’t leaving the office to go home for the day. The company was almost completely empty.
With everyone gone, the building was quiet.
Chen Yuan had been invited to a private banquet in Linzhou, over a hundred kilometers away. The host was the former head of the Northern Region Energy Project—Gao Dengfeng. Since Chen Yuan would be taking over in a few days, he naturally had to get a briefing from the former director. In the future, Gao would also serve as his second-in-command for a while before being transferred to headquarters in a few years to rejoin the core leadership.
It was worth mentioning that Mo Nana’s father and Gao Dengfeng had graduated from the same school, so she would be there as well.
VMMMM—
As the engine’s roar echoed in the dim underground garage, Chen Yuan and Jiangg Ning sat in the back seat, a noticeable distance between them.
"I already talked to Yaoyao. She’s at Wan’s house right now, so you don’t have to worry about her for dinner. She might not even be home by the time we get back."
"You don’t have to make a point of telling me. She’s my sister. Of course I know."
Jiangg Ning’s retort shut him down.
Chen Yuan scratched his head, then simply turned his face away and sighed silently to himself.
He closed his eyes and tried to catch up on some sleep during the drive.
...
「In Linzhou City, inside a brightly lit villa.」
Chen Yuan’s car had just pulled up to the entrance when he finally opened his drowsy eyes. A strong, cool breeze gusted in through the window, instantly waking him up. Before he even got out of the car, he saw four or five older men gathered at the entrance, all looking toward his vehicle.
"President Jiang, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for a long time. If you’d taken any longer, we old geezers would’ve frozen our noses off."
As the former director of the northern region, Gao Dengfeng actually came over to open the car door for him. He was incredibly friendly from the moment they met, showing none of the condescending attitude an elder might have toward a junior.
"Gao, you really didn’t have to come out and greet me personally. You could have just waited inside. This is so embarrassing for me."
"It’s nothing. You’ve troubled yourself to come all the way from Lanjing for this meal, so it’s only right that I come out to greet you. Please, come inside! The food’s all ready, hot and fresh from the kitchen."
Being addressed as "Gao," the middle-aged man in his fifties instantly raised his eyebrows. His face flushed with color, and he glanced around at his colleagues with a hint of pride.
He came over and grabbed Chen Yuan’s hand with immense enthusiasm. It didn’t seem feigned at all; he appeared genuinely happy.
Gao Dengfeng had been in charge of the Northern Region Energy Project for over five years. It was no exaggeration to say he was the undisputed boss of the project. His seat was always near the front at the annual headquarters meetings. But he was getting older, and if nothing changed, he would likely have stayed in this position until retirement.
But who wouldn’t want to advance their career further in their later years?
Jiang Zhengfeng’s sudden decision to have Chen Yuan take over Gao Dengfeng’s position was a promotion disguised as a demotion for Gao. Naturally, he was overjoyed. In his eyes, Chen Yuan was a true benefactor.
"Then I’ll have to trouble you to brief me later, Gao. I’ve looked into your three-year project and five-year plan a bit, but I’m completely in the dark about the project’s actual progress."
"Not a problem at all. We’ll talk while we eat. Just make yourself at home here today. I even had a room prepared for you."
"No, no, no, I still have to go back tonight."
"We’ll see about that. We don’t know what time we’ll be done with dinner. It won’t be safe to go back then."
With that, the group walked into the villa’s courtyard.
Gao Dengfeng’s home was truly luxurious. Although it wasn’t as large as the house Chen Yuan had stayed in back in Kyoto, the moment you entered, you were greeted by an extravagantly large courtyard gate. Several expensive luxury cars were parked to the side, and the living room itself was also incredibly grand.
After everyone was seated, Chen Yuan deliberately had Jiangg Ning sit next to him.
Mo Nana was still on her way, so a seat was left for her as well.
But to everyone’s surprise, Gao Dengfeng insisted that Chen Yuan take the host’s seat, refusing to take no for an answer.
"And this is?"
"My secretary, Jiangg Ning."
"Oh! A young talent! Truly an impressive individual."
At a dinner party like this, there was nothing but an endless stream of pleasantries. Although Chen Yuan disliked it, he learned to blend in.
Fortunately, this banquet truly was a private dinner. There were no outsiders, and the food consisted of authentic, famous Linzhou dishes that looked vibrant and smelled delicious. Everyone chatted casually, like family, with the conversation mainly revolving around the region’s management system and the five-year plan.
This put Chen Yuan, who had been a little resistant before coming, somewhat at ease.
He disliked the overly phony airs of such drinking parties.
Gao Dengfeng had made a good impression on him. At least he was cordial, not like the typical pot-bellied, greasy middle-aged man in a high position. He was more like a down-to-earth business owner.